Container



T. M. SHAY Re. 25,465

Oct. 22, 1963 CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed NOV. 10. 1960gwiti 1-2.2

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INVENTOR. 73/ f: WJZJZQK T. M. SHAY Oct. 22, 1963 CONTAINER 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 10. 1960 United States Patent 25,465CONTAINER Thomas M. Shay, Morehead, Ky., assignor to Shay Containers,Incorporated, Cynthiana, Ky.

Original No. 3,036,725, dated May 29, 1962, Ser. No. 68,484, Nov. 10,1960. Application for reissue Feb. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 261,938

2 Claims. (Cl. 217-12) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in theoriginal patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matterprinted in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

This invention relates to a container and more particularly to acontainer which can be knocked down or disassembled when it is not beingused.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a container or boxthat includes a base as well as a plurality of side members or sidepanels, and there is also provided a cover, and wherein there isprovided an interengaging means between the cover and side mcmhers aswell as an interengaging means between the base and side members so thatwhen the parts are in their assembled position the various componentswill be maintained in their proper aligned location.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container which includesside members that can be readily disengaged or slid out or slid in andengaged with a base, and wherein the container is easy to assemblebecause the last piece taken out is the first to be used in reassemblingthe container or box, and wherein the container of the present inventiondoes not require the use of nails or other fasteners to hold the partsin place since one metal band surrounding the top portion of thecontainer will serve to hold the parts in their interlocked position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a knocked down orcollapsible box or container which includes a base that is constructedso that the side members will not collapse or bulge out, and whereinthere is provided a novel interlocking means between the variouscomponents or parts so that assembly or disassembly can be readilyeffected or accomplished, the container being strong in structure andlight in weight and being especially suitable for use by personsshipping various types of goods or items, and wherein the container canbe made in different sizes, and wherein the container is especiallysuitable for receiving items that are to have a minimum amount ofexposure to air, dust or the like since the container can be madepractically air and dust proof.

Still another object is to provide such a container that is economicalto manufacture and eflicient in operation and which is rugged instructure and foolproof in use.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from areading of the following specification and claims, together with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like parts are referred to and indicatedby like reference characters and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the assembled container of the presentinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the base per se.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through the assembledcontainer or box.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the cover looking up at the bottomportion of the cover.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURES 6, 7, 8, and 9 are elevational views illustrating the four sidemembers.

Reissued Oct. 22, 1963 "ice FIGURE 10 is a top plan view of theassembled con tainer, with the cover removed.

FIGURE 11 is a bottom plan view of the base.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary elevational view, with parts broken awayshowing a notch in a corner of one of the side members which permits theparts to be assembled and disassembled.

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a lower cornerportion of the cover.

FIGURE 14 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the stacking of theparts of the container as, for example, when the container is not beingused it can be disassembled and the parts stacked one upon the other soas to occupy a minimum amount of space for storage or shipment.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 20 in FIGURE 1illustrates the assembled container or box of the present inventionwhich is shown to comprise a horizontally disposed base that isindicated generally by the numeral 21, FIGURE 2. The base 21 is ofrectangular formation and includes first, second, third and fourthcorner portions as indicated by the numerals 22, 23, 24 and 25. The base21 is also shaped to include vertically disposed flanges, and it will beseen that these flanges are arranged adjacent the outer edge portions ofthe base. The first flange 26 has its ends terminating at points asindicated by the numerals 30 and 31, and these points 30 and 31 arespaced inwardly from the first and second corner portions 22 and 23. Thenumeral 27 indicates a second flange which has one end 32 spacedinwardly from the second corner portion 23, and the other end of theflange 27 extends all the way to the third corner portion 24. The thirdflange 28 extends from the third corner portion 24 to a portion of theway across so that an end of the third flange 28 terminates at the point33 which is spaced inwardly from the apex of the fourth corner portion25. The fourth flange 29 has both of its ends spaced inwardly from theadjacent corner portions, as for example the fourth flange 29 has oneend terminating at a point 34 that is spaced inwardly from the apex ofthe fourth corner portion 25, and the other end as indicated by thenumeral 35 of the fourth flange 29 is spaced from the apex of the firstcorner portion 22, for a purpose to be later described.

The base 21 further includes a central rectangular main body section 36,and there is defined between the outer edges of the main body section 36and the flanges, grooves indicated by the numerals 37, 38, 39, and 40.The main body section of the base 21 is recessed below the outer edgeportions of the main body section so as to define or provide recessesindicated by the numerals 41, 42, 43, and 44.

There is further provided four side members or side panels so that withthe container assembled as, for example, as shown in FIGURE 5 thenumerals 45, 46, 47, and 48 indicate or designate vertically disposedfirst, second, third and fourth side members respectively. Each of theseside members is provided with a main body portion and has an enlargedhorizontally disposed shoulder on its outer upper end portion, and eachside member further includes a horizontally disposed tongue or lugportion on its lower inner end surface. Thus, referring to FIGURE 6 ofthe drawing it will be seen that the first side member 45 includes amain body portion 49 which has an enlarged or thickened shoulder 50 onits upper outer end portion as well as a horizontally disposed tongue 51on its lower inner end portion. The lower end portions of the sidemembers are slidably engaged in the grooves of the base 21, and thetongues of the side members are adapted to be snugly received in therecesses below the outer edge portions of the main body section 36 ofthe base 21. The shoulder 50 of the first side member 45 has its endsflush with the adjacent outer edges of the side member 45 as shown inthe drawings. The tongue 51 has one end flush with a lower side edgeportion of the side member 45, while the other end of the tongue 51terminates at a point 52 that is spaced inwardly from the adjacentvertical edge of the side member 45 so that there is defined or provideda space 53 between the end 52 and the outer vertical edge portion of theside member 45.

Attention is now directed to FIGURE 8 of the drawing wherein there isshown the second side member 46 which includes a main body portion 54which is provided with a tongue 55 on the lower inner portion thereof,the tongue 55 extends completely across the bottom of the side member46. The side member 46 is further provided by an enlarged or thickenedshoulder 56 on the upper outer surface thereof, and end portions of theshoulder 56 extend beyond the outer side edges of the side member 46 andthese extending end portions of the shoulder are indicated by thenumeral 57.

The third side member is shown in FIGURE 9 and is indicated generally bythe numeral 47, and the third side member 47 includes a main bodyportion 59 which has a shoulder 60 on the upper outer portion thereof,and the ends of the shoulder 60 are flush with the outer vertical edgesof the side member 47. The side member 47 further includes ahorizontally disposed tongue 61 on the lower inner portion thereof, andthe ends of the tongue 61 terminate at points 62 and 63 which are spacedinwardly from the adjacent vertical side edges of the side member 47.

The fourth side member or side panel is illustrated in FIGURE 7 and isindicated by the numeral 48 and it will be seen that the side member 48includes a main body portion 65 which has a shoulder 66 on the upperouter portion thereof, and the shoulder 66 has end portions 67projecting or extending beyond the adjacent outer edges of the main bodyportion 65. The side member 48 is further provided with a horizontallydisposed tongue 68 on the lower inner surface thereof, and one end ofthe tongue 68, is flush with an outer edge of the side member 48, whilethe other end of the tongue 68 terminates at a point 69 which is spacedinwardly from the opposite side edge of the member 48. The numeral 70indicates a notch or cutout which is provided in the lower cornerportion of the side member 48 adjacent the point 69.

As shown in FIGURE 4 there is provided a cover or lid which is indicatedgenerally by the numeral 71, and the cover 71 includes a rectangularmain body portion 77 which has four depending vertically disposed ribs76 that are arranged in rectangular formation, and the meeting endportions of the ribs 76 abut each other as shown in FIGURE 4 and thisconstruction helps insure that the parts such as the cover can be madewith a minimum amount of expense since by having such abutting junctions72, expensive beveled edges or overlapping scams or end portions areeliminated. The ribs 76 are secured to or formed integral with the mainbody portion 77 of the cover 71, and these ribs 76 are spaced inwardlyfrom the outer edges 73 of the cover as shown in the drawings, so thatwhen the container is assembled the upper inner portions of the sidemembers will abut or engage the outer surfaces of the ribs '76 and withthe parts in such assembled position the outer surfaces of the shouldersof the side members will be flush with the outer edge portions of thecover and thus there will be no overhanging portions on the coverextending beyond the side members. The numeral 74 indicates a band orstrap which may be made of metal or the like and this metal band ortying member as indicated by the numeral 74 is adapted to be extendedaround the four shoulders of the side members as, for example, as shownin FIGURE 1 in order to retain the parts in their proper assembledposition, and the band 74 may be provided with a conventional clamp orsecuring element 75 for preventing accidental disengagement orseparation of the band.

Referring to FIGURE 11 of the drawings, it will be seen that the bottomof the base 21 is provided with a plurality of spaced parallel cleats 78which define spaces 79 therebetween.

In FIGURE 14 there is illustrated a manner or method of stacking theparts of the container as, for example, when a container is not beingused the parts can be disassembled and stacked one upon the other so asto occupy a very small amount of space, and if desired or required,spacer members such as the spacer members 80 may be interposed betweencertain of the parts in order to help maintain such parts in ahorizontal or level position when in their stacked relationship as shownin FIG- URE 14.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided acontainer which is adapted to be used for various purposes, as forexample the present invention can be used as a shipping container sothat various types of articles can be positioned within the containerand stored or shipped in a highly convenient manner to a desiredlocation. With the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, it will beseen that the container includes a base 21 as well as a top member orcover 71, and there is also provided a plurality of vertically disposedside members which are interlocked with the base and cover, and the band74 surrounds the upper portions of the side members whereby the entirestructure will be held in assembled position. The base 21 is providedwith the flanges 26, 27, 28 and 29 as well as the grooves 37, 38, 39 and40, and there is provided the recesses 41, 42, 43 and 44. The sidemembers have the tongues in their lower inner portions and the shoulderson their upper outer portions as previously stated, and these offsettongues and shoulders are such that when the container is assembled, thetongues will snugly fit in the recesses so that the side members will beinterlocked with the base. In addition, the flanges are arranged so thatcertain of the flanges are positioned whereby adjacent ends are spacedfrom each other while other flanges have contiguous ends so that withthis construction sufiicient clearance is provided in order to permitconvenient assembly or disassembly of the container as desired andwherein with the container assembled accidental separation ordisengagement of the parts will be prevented. After the side membershave been interlocked with the base, the cover 71 is positioned on theupper ends of the side members so that the ribs 76 will be arranged inengagement with the upper inner surfaces of the side members and thisconstrue tion together with the construction of the base insures thatthe side members will not buckle or move out of their proper position,and by positioning the band 74 around the shoulders of the side membersthe completed container will be maintained in the assembled position.

When the container is not needed or when it is not being used, the partscan be disassembled and stacked as, for example, as shown in FIGURE 14and the various side members can be stacked one upon the other on top ofthe base 21, and the cover member 71 can then be mounted above the sidemembers.

As shown in FIGURE 12 the notch 70 provide-s clearance space whereby thetongue 51 and side member 45 can slide through this notch 70 in order topermit assembly or disassembly of the container. As shown in FIG- URE 2the corner portion 24 is closed, while the corner portions 22, 23 and 25are of generally open construction so that the desired assembly ordisassembly can take place.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapesor sizes.

The provision of the undercut recesses in the base and the flanges onthe base provide a means for releasably locking the side members to thebase in such a manner that the side members cannot buckle or spread outfrom their proper position.

The parts are made in such a manner that they will properly fit togetherand interlock or interengage. The shoulders help reinforce the upperportions of the side members and also certain of the shoulders haveextending end portions as indicated by the numerals 57 and 67 and theseextending end portions interengage or abut the ends of the shoulders ofthe adjacent side members in order to maintain the parts in their properaligned position. When disassembling the container, the band 74 is firstremoved, and then the side member 45 is slid out from engagement withthe base, and then the side members such as the side members 46 and 48are slid out from engagement with the base through the open corners ofthe base, and then the side member 47 may be disengaged or slid out ofengagement with the base, it being understood that the cover 71 isremoved from off of the side members after the band and before it isdisconnected. Similarly, when assembling the container the reverseprocedure is followed so that the side member 47 can be first engagedwith the base, and then the other side members 46 and 48 are connectedto the base and the last side member to be connected to the base will bethe side member 45 so that the side member 45 is the first side memberto be removed when taking the container apart, and the side member 45 isthe last side member to be inserted when assembling the container.

One of the most important aspects or features of the container of thepresent invention is the economy that can be realized by using the sameor making same as previously stated. The side members of the containerare adapted to be interlocked to the base and cover, and as shown inFIGURE 14 the parts are adapted to be interlocked and stacked togetherwhen not being used so that a minimum amount of space will be requiredfor shipment, storage or the like. The container is very easy toreassemble because the last piece taken out is the first to be used inreassembling the device and reassembly can be readily accomplishedwithout the necessity of using nails or other securing elements as onlyone metal band is needed around the top of the container or box, and thetighter the band the stronger will be the sides, top and bottom.Disassembly is readily accomplished by sliding the side member 45 in adirection from the corner 23 towards the corner 22, and then the sidemember 48 slides from the corner 25 to corner 22, and then the sidemember 46 slides from the corner 24 to corner 23, and finally the sidemember 47 slides from corner 24 to corner 25, and the exact reverse ofthis procedure is used to reassemble the container.

The base is constructed so that the side members will not collapse orbulge out, and the side members will not move from their properpositions. The side members each have a different construction from eachother and these side members are provided with definite offsets andoverhangs such as the tongues and shoulders so that the parts caninterlock with each other. The cover can be banded on or it can besimply set on the tops of the side members and if the cover is just seton it will not slide off, due to the provision of the ribs 76 on thecover. The parts can be made of suitable material such as plywood,metal, wooden slats or the like, and by using plywood, or metal, thecontainer can be made practically air and dust proof. Component partscan be purchased and replaced separately so that in the event that asingle element or piece needs replacement, it is not necessary topurchase an entire new container. The container can be purchased andeconomically used by shippers or the like, and various items can beshipped or positioned in the container, and the container can be made indifferent sizes as desired, and the container is extremely strong andlight in weight. The notch 70 provides clearance for the tongue 51 ofthe side member 45 whereby the proper assembly and disassembly of thecontainer can be accomplished. In order to take apart these containersit is first necessary to slide out the side member 45, and unless thisside member is first removed the other side members cannot be takenapart since they are locked in by the side member 45.

The box may be used without the cleats on the base if it is so desired.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming withinthe field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, ifdesired.

What is claimed is:

1. A container comprising a horizontally disposed base of rectangularformation and said base including first, second, third and fourth cornerportions, first, second, third and fourth vertically disposed flangesadjacent the outer edge portions of the base; said first flange havingits ends terminating at points spaced inwardly from the first and secondcorner portions, said second flange having one end thereof spaced fromsaid second corner por tion and its other end extending all the way tothe third corner portion, said third flange extending from the thirdcorner portion to a point spaced inwardly from the fourth cornerportion; said fourth flange having its ends spaced inwardly from thefirst and fourth corner portions of said base; said base furtherincluding a central rectangular main body section, there being groovesdefined between the outer edges of the main body section and saidflanges, said main body section being recessed below the outer edgeportions of the main body section; first, second, third and fourthvertically disposed side members each including a main body portionhaving an enlarged horizontally disposed shoulder on its upper outer endportion and a horizontally disposed tongue on its lower inner endportion, the lower end portions of the side members being slidablyengaged in the grooves in the base, said tongues being received in therecessed portions below the outer edges of the main body section of thebase; the shoulders of the first and third side members having endsarranged flush with the adjacent outer edges of the respective sidemembers, the tongue of the first side member having one end flush withthe adjacent outer edge of the side member and the opposite end of thetongue being spaced inwardly from the adjacent outer edge portion of thefirst side member; the shoulder of the second and fourth side membersextending beyond the adjacent outer edge portions of the side members,the tongue of the second side member extending completely across thelower inner portion of the second side member so that the ends of thelast named tongue are flush with the outer side edges of the second sidemember, the tongue of the third side member having both of its endsspaced inwardly from the adjacent outer edge portions of the third sidemember; the tongue of the fourth side member having one end flush withthe outer edge portion of the fourth side member and its other endterminating at a point spaced inwardly from the adjacent outer edgeportion of the fourth side member, there being a notch in a lower cornerportion of said fourth side member, said notch being arranged contiguousto the corner where the tongue of the fourth side member is spacedinwardly from the corresponding outer edge portion a horizontallydisposed cover of rectangular formation mounted on said side members andsaid cover including a plurality of abutting vertically disposed ribsarranged in rectangular formation, said ribs being spaced inwardly fromthe outer edge portions of the cover, and the upper inner portions ofthe side members engaging the outer surfaces of said ribs].

[2. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the outer surfaces of saidshoulders are flush with the outer edges of the cover] 3. A structure asdefined in claim 1 and further in- 7 eluding a band surrounding theshoulders of said first, second, third and fourth side members.

References Cited in the file of this patent or the original patentUNITED STATES PATENTS Johnson et a1. Nov. 26, 1907 8 Kling Nov. 26, 1912Ward July 23, 1918 Seabold Dec. 1, 1931 Nelson et a1 Nov. 15, 1938Williams June 20, 1950 Koester Apr. 24, 1956 Somavia Dec. 2, 1958

